Yeah, Barry is just the worst. And in case we needed yet another example as to why, we have “Into the Speed Force.”

I mean, I understand why the guy does the things he does. He’s motivated by the same things that affect all of us–guilt over the past, fear of the future, etc. But there was once a time when the DC heroes were known for being inspirational figures, idealized versions of humanity that spoke to our better natures. On a certain level, however, Barry’s consistently poor decision-making is even worse than the wanton acts of violence and destruction committed by Superman and Batman in Zack Snyder’s DC movies. Unlike in the case of these films, The Flash is produced by people who genuinely appreciate its character’s source material, and who’ve proven that they’re more than capable of honoring it while appealing to the CW’s young audience.

“Into the Speed Force” finds Barry again looking to right his wrongs, those for which his friends have suffered, by taking on his titular mission in order to replace Wally in the speedster netherworld, where the lad has been trapped since he inadvertently released Savitar from it last week. The episode also serves to bring back a host of the show’s past stars and guest stars, each of whom plays a version of the Speed Force communicating through their former characters’ physical forms. F

irst, there’s Rick Cosnett’s Eddie, who sacrificed himself in order to stop Reverse-Flash in the finale of season one. Robbie Amell’s Ronnie Raymond is also there to help pour the guilt onto Barry, showing him a vision of the child he and Caitlin could have had, had he not also perished in the season one finale. There there’s Wentworth Miller’s Leonard Snart, probably the most appealing character to have appeared on this show (with the exception of Tom Cavanagh’s sublime H.R. Wells). Here, he’s just a vessel who reminds Barry, and us, that he’s not only capable of inspiring heroism in others, but of converting those who are diametrically opposed to the very idea of heroism. Like Eddie and Ronnie, Snart’s just a vessel for the Speed Force, but Miller’s so damn good he can’t help but remind us what this show’s been missing since he left it for Legends of Tomorrow.

Our heartstrings are supposed to be torn when Jay Garrick appears and winds up taking Wally’s place in the Speed Force. But we haven’t spent all that much time with Jay (this version of Jay, that is), and Barry’s been so unlikable lately that instead of appearing noble Jay comes off as a bit of a chump for investing so much in the kid. Of course, Barry doesn’t do much to change our minds when the first decision he makes upon returning home is to tell Iris he thinks they need to spend some time apart. As someone who’s been in a stable relationship for 17 years, one that’s suffered its share of problems, I can verify that this is pretty much the exact opposite of the way intelligent couples behave.

I’m sure The Flash‘s producers are viewing this season as a kind of crucible in which Barry’s faith in his ability to be a partner to his wife is tested. (Unless they really are planning on killing Iris off.) But he’s been through so many similar tests in the past two years–and, as we’ve seen these last few weeks, wound up wanting–that it’s getting harder and harder for us to believe he’ll learn all that much from this one.

Next week, we and Barry will get a break from all the hand-wringing with a two-part musical crossover episode with Supergirl. But when the Savitar storyline resumes in the following episode, I’m praying for the love of all that is holy, in and out of the Speed Force, that this show finds a way to instill the hope to which it so often pays mere lip service.

Accelerated Particles:

— On the upside, “Into the Speed Force” is far and away the best Jesse Quick episode the show’s given us. Overcoming her frustrations to work with H.R. and successfully take on Savitar all by herself, she makes both Barry and Wally look like amateurs. Oh how I wish we could go with her to Earth-3 and leave Team Flash to its misery.

— “It’s not The Peanuts. It’s just Peanuts.”

— Cisco treats us to Toy Story and The Iron Giant references this week. I want to Cisco be my best friend. And I want him to come with me to Earth-3 to hang out with Jesse, where we’ll have movie marathons and eat lots of popcorn.

— “Getting a little slow there in your golden age, Garrick.” Sure, it’s pandering. But this old comics fan still loved it.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter (@JMaCabre).

Images: The CW

]]>THE FLASH Recap: Team Flash Faces “The Wrath of Savitar”http://nerdist.com/the-flash-recap-team-flash-faces-the-wrath-of-savitar/
Wed, 08 Mar 2017 14:00:56 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=485618Warning: This post contains spoilers for the latest episode of The Flash! Proceed with caution, speedsters. For reals, if you haven’t yet watched this week’s episode, “The Wrath of Savitar,” we highly suggest you do so before proceeding. Okay? We good? Let’s go.

Oh Barry. Haven’t we talked about this before? Central City’s Scarlet Speedster may be fast, but, man, is he ever forgetful. After all, it was Barry himself who made the S.T.A.R. Labs team promise not to keep secrets from each other earlier this season. Now, in “The Wrath of Savitar,” the damn fool keeps the biggest secret of all from Iris: why he’s so eager to get married. “I knew you’d say yes,” the arrogant prick tells her, by way of explaining how getting a ring on her finger would help prevent her from getting murdered by the speed god… even though Barry’s been flying blind all along in his attempts to thwart Savitar. Deep down inside, he has no idea what particular action or set of actions can halt her demise.

It’s not easy watching someone you once cared about make the same mistake over and over and over again. I get that The Flash is, to a certain extent, a coming-of-age drama and a morality tale aimed at young people, and that its hero is far more fallible (and more than a little thicker) than the fellow us fans know from the comic books. But the show has introduced other characters like Wally and Jesse in the last couple of years. Characters who can easily take on the mantle of team doofus, while Barry faces the challenge of being a mentor/big brother/leader.

Truth be told, the one thing Barry does have going for him in this week’s episode is the fact that almost everyone keeps secrets and makes boneheaded decisions. Some are understandable, like Caitlin keeping a chunk of the Philosopher’s Stone in an attempt to keep Killer Frost at bay. While others, like Wally not telling anyone about his visions of Savitar, don’t make all that much sense, even for a nascent speedster.

Wally’s speed has improved under Barry’s tutelage. But like his tutor, his genius IQ seems to have decreased rapidly in the time he’s spent hanging out with the team at S.T.A.R.. Hey, maybe Cisco and Caitlin’s real metahuman powers are the ability to siphon the smarts from other folks!

As for Caitlin, her secret agenda dovetails nicely with the show’s need to free Savitar in order to torment our cocky lead character. (He has to get out somehow!) So it’s a little easier to let slide. Especially when it leads to the most romantic moment thus far this season–her first kiss with Julian. Tom Felton has quickly become the show’s secret weapon, and his complete 180 from refusing to be the team’s “walkie-talkie” to snogging Ms. Snow when she puts her hand on his is a joy to watch.

“I just wanted to do that in case you changed your mind later,” he tells her, by way of an apology.

“Quite alright,” she whispers, mimicking his stiff upper lip.

What makes these two work is their relationship is the least forced on the show. Both Barry and Iris and Wally and Jesse are so wrapped up in destiny, so conveniently preordained by the Speed Force, that their couplings lack the kind of spontaneity that generates sparks. Granted, Iris walking out on a defeated Barry might spice things up a little. As for Jesse and Wally, well, at least his sudden imprisonment is furthering her relationship with H.R., who, if my suspicions that Harry pulled a double fake-out regarding his health issue last week prove true, may soon find himself taking on the role of surrogate father full-time.

In the meantime, we’ve still got to see if Barry can make up for his boneheadedness. The tonal shift between the darkness in “The Wrath of Savitar” and the impending musical crossover with Supergirl is gonna be a big one. So the biggest question about next week’s episode is whether or not it can account for that. See you in seven, speedsters!

Accelerated Particles:

— “Why don’t you take it down a little, tiger mom.”

— “We’re still The Four Amigos, right?… You don’t have that movie on this Earth?”

— “I don’t know if can take another one of these seances. Anyone else with me? I almost filled my drawers.” Oh, H.R., this show doesn’t deserve you.

— Listening to Savitar’s words to Barry, it sounds like the show is still exploring the latter’s reticence about killing. That’s something it really needs to stop doing. Because if Barry does wind up killing somebody, or by not killing allow someone close to him to be killed, I for one am not sticking around to watch him mope about it next season.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter (@JMaCabre).

Images: The CW

]]>Will Jared Leto’s Joker Be Back for GOTHAM CITY SIRENS?http://nerdist.com/joker-gotham-city-sirens-suicide-squad-harley-quinn/
Wed, 14 Dec 2016 23:31:46 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=465904When Harley Quinn returns to the big screen, she’ll be bringing some seriously sinister girl power with her. That’s because her solo flick, which has been in development since she stole the show in last summer’s Suicide Squad, was officially announced yesterday and it looks like she won’t be rolling solo after all. Instead, Harley Quinn herself, Margot Robbie, and director David Ayer will be reuniting to adapt Gotham City Sirens based on the comic of the same name created by Paul Dini. Sirens is the story of Quinn and Batman’s other two big female villains, Catwoman and Poison Ivy, joining forces to claw their way to the top of the male dominated Gotham City underworld. But with such a female centric project, will there be room for any of the DC Dudes in this one? Specifically, will there be room for a certain clown-faced psychotic ex-boyfriend?

Well, Harley’s obsession with the Joker may have been her defining trait in Suicide Squad but it’s hard to see how that would fit into a movie about three female friends committing crimes and getting cocktails in the big city. Obviously Mistah J can’t take the spotlight in Sirens, but would the DCU’s current Joker even settle for second fiddle? Jared Leto was pretty vocal about his displeasure over getting majorly edited out of Suicide Squad. It’s hard to imagine him coming back just to play Mr. Big to Harley’s Carrie Bradshaw. (Sex and the City reference!)

But do we really even need a Joker in this movie? Harley may have started out as little more than in his love struck groupie but in recent years she’s blossomed into her own awesome character, one who doesn’t need a man to define her. One of the biggest disappointments of Suicide Squad is that it reverted to the old, Joker-obsessed version of Harley. Sirens seems like the perfect opportunity to correct that.

Ultimately, we just hope Gotham City Sirens can channel the badass energy of one of our favorite Harley Quinn episodes from Batman: The Animated Series, “Harley and Ivy.” But what do you think? Are you excited for a Harley-spinoff? Let us know in the comments below!

]]>Is Warner Bros. Secretly Working on HARRY POTTER 8?http://nerdist.com/is-warner-bros-secretly-working-on-harry-potter-8/
Wed, 13 Jul 2016 21:15:35 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=421165Are we about to get a Harry Potter sequel after all!? Hold onto your Hippogriffs, people! As we all know, this November, we’ll be getting Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a J.K. Rowling penned Harry Potter spin-off, but we just learned that might not be the only Potter project in the works- gasp! Just this morning, Irish lawyer Brian Conroy revealed that just a few days ago he discovered a trademark for movies and merchandising based on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This means that eighth chapter in the Harry Potter saga aka the two-part play that’s about to take the West End by storm just might be gearing up to be a movie of it’s own!

While there’s a chance that WB is just locking down the trademark to be safe, the story of Cursed Child takes place nineteen years post-Deathly Hallows. So, if they did want to make the film, it couldn’t be in production until 2028 for the original cast to be in contention, unless they brought back some of that old-age makeup from Deathly Hallows Part 2‘s… Which, we’re really hoping they don’t. CG aging doesn’t have a history of being the most accurate, cough, young Robert Downey Jr. in Civil War, cough, old Brad Pitt in Benjamin Button, cough. But… but… what if they went, the animated route? The trademark WB filed does include the right to create animated films, so it wouldn’t be completely unreasonable, plus, it would give WB a chance to have their Harry Potter original-cast-cake and eat it too, with the help of some great animation.

Rowling herself has sworn Cursed Child will only be a stage play, while Fantastic Beasts will be a big budget film trilogy, nonetheless, registering the trademark is a pretty interesting move. But what do you guys think? What’s your ideal approach to a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie? Claymation? A Sweded version of the original? Let’s discuss!

]]>BATMAN V SUPERMAN: ULTIMATE CUT Trailer Breakdown!http://nerdist.com/batman-v-superman-ultimate-cut-trailer-breakdown/
Thu, 02 Jun 2016 21:30:02 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=407906It’s now been several months since Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice descended upon the world, and while many people’s chief complaint was that the movie was a little too grimdark for its own good, Warner Bros. has announced an even grimmer, darker, R-rated Ultimate Cut coming to home media later this month! And we’re breaking down the first trailer on today’s Nerdist News. Yes, there will be some spoilers in this breakdown, so if you haven’t seen Snyder’s ode to the Martha Boyz, then please turn away. Like, why did you even click on this?

Okay, so first off — it appears Clark is watching a different interview on the TV in his kitchen than he was in the theatrical cut! I mean, they’re kind of stuck with the same reaction shot from Clark, but this appears to be more tragic footage from the attack in Nairobi than we’ve seen before, so count on a more resonant tone to these scenes. And alongside the new news footage, we also see a new shot of Lois on the scene in Nairobi, as well as what appears to be a drone firing a rocket at the compound, and a sky-explosion sparked by Superman flying into said drone. And more Flamethrower Guy! He looks really happy to see Supes, which hopefully means we’ll get a clearer idea of what exactly Luthor’s plan for the Nairobi set-up was. After all, Snyder himself said the sequence will be “really much different” in the Ultimate Cut. Looks like for better or worse it’s at least more action-packed!

We’ve also got a handful of assorted and tiny new shots, all just a second or two long. There’s Bruce Wayne taking a shower, so count on him being cleaner in this cut. We see Superman flying away from the Capitol after it explodes, and check out those stretchers on the ground. Looks like he was at least trying to help in the rescue effort. Good on you, Supes. And then there’s security footage of a bad-ass, glowing-eyed Batman creeping around the LexCorp facility on the hunt for some Kryptonite! And it looks like Clark will further put his investigative reporter skills to work as he gets the low-down on Batman from our mysterious new friend, Lottery Scratcher Guy.

But honestly, the most exciting addition we saw in this trailer was a brief glimpse of Jena Malone as (probably) Barbara Gordon. She appears to be razzing Lois Lane’s berries in this clip, which leads us to wonder whether Babs is a Gotham-based reporter in the Snyderverse, or perhaps some kind of key witness in Lois’s Lex-brand bullet investigation? The latter doesn’t make all that much sense, and they appear to be in a hospital setting judging from the x-rays behind Lois and the biohazard waste basket behind Jenna. We’re guessing this scene is set after the Capitol explosion. But I guess we’ll have to wait and see whether Barbara really does have a new occupation.

Oh, and last but not least, it looks like we’ve got a lot more Doomsday on the horizon, which is where that R-rating comes from according to Snyder. Nothing too crazy violent or bloody here, which seems like bit of a botch…I mean, if you’re gonna do an R-rated cut, do a red-band trailer so we can see why! So the question remains: will this Ultimate Cut make the movie any better? Pretty much everyone agrees that Snyder’s Watchmen became a much-better film when it’s own director’s cut released. But what we’ve seen so far from this cut of BvS looks, well, new-ish at best. There’s certainly nothing in this trailer that looks like it’d magically fix the movie, and nothing as weird as that Steppenwolf deleted scene WB dropped week of release to, presumably, hype people for the Justice League movie’s apparent villain. Will that clip be in the Ultimate Cut, or anything like it? If so, that would make things a lot more interesting.

But what do you guys think? Does this trailer fill you with hope? Anything you noticed that we missed? What do you hope to see in the Ultimate Cut? Let’s discuss!

]]>How Much JUSTICE LEAGUE Will We See in BATMAN V SUPERMAN?http://nerdist.com/junkie-xl-batman-theme-justice-league-in-batman-v-superman/
Fri, 05 Feb 2016 22:17:48 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=364513We are just over a month away from seeing the holy trinity together on the big screen for the first time—and by that we mean Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, of course. But will the trio be the only guests at DC’s first super-powered big-screen bash?

No! Zack Snyder himself has finally confirmed just how much of the Justice League we’ll be seeing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and because he’s such a mensch, how much screen-time they’ll have. Speaking on the Hall of Justice podcast, Snyder laid out that the other Justice League characters”—meaning Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg—won’t be around nearly as much as the Amazonian Princess, but they will be present. Said Snyder:

“As far as the other Justice League characters go, they play a very small role. It’s really just a whisper they exist. Except for Wonder Woman, we see her really well. But really the movie is about Batman and Superman. And we really take time with them, and we really drill down on the why of them and what they stand for and their beliefs and them as characters. That’s pretty much the why of the movie. But again as I said, it does begin the conversation about these guys are out there.”

A “whisper” eh? Well, at least we don’t have to wait too long before finding out for ourselves. But wait, there’s more! While he was on a roll confirming stuff we’d thought but never knew for sure, Snyder also cleared up the fact that DC’s on-screen heroes exist in a multiverse!

“As opposed to trying to shoehorn all these storylines into a single universe, we let the characters exist in a multi-universe, and it’s a lot more fun, and [has] a lot more value for the audience.”

But wait — again! ‘Cause there’s more — again! As you might imagine, a new Batman means a new Batman theme, and as you may have heard, Hans Zimmer—who scored most of Batman v Superman—passed the job of coming up with a new Bat-anthem to Mad Max: Fury Road and Deadpoolcomposer Junkie XL. On Friday morning, we got our very first listen to the track that’ll define the new Batman’s vibe for at least the next half a decade. Is it the best theme yet? Well, it’s loud and bombastic, but we’ll have to wait to see how it fits with Ben Affleck’s take on Bruce Wayne before deciding for sure.

Thanks for watching today’s show! Let us know what you think of the DC Multiverse and the new Batman theme in the comments below. Then keep checking back here for more Nerdist News.

]]>BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT Releases BATMAN V SUPERMAN Skin and Batmobile for Freehttp://nerdist.com/batman-arkham-knight-releases-batman-v-superman-skin-and-batmobile-for-free/
Fri, 04 Dec 2015 11:00:17 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=341487DC Entertainment sure does know how to ride hype wave of the new Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justicetrailer.WB Interactive and Rocksteady have released a skin pack featuring the new Ben Affleck version of Batman and the 2016 Batmobile for Batman: Arkham Knight. While the skin pack wasn’t a secret, it was supposed to be released as part of the Season Pass. But now, anyone who has the game for Xbox One or Playstation 4 can download the pack for free!

Yes, for no money down and a monthly payment of nothing, you too can cruise the streets of Gotham City in the newest model Batmobile for 2016. The Batman V Superman pack is not the only one available for free, either. Players can also download the New 52 skin pack, which features the most recent comic book looks for all playable characters, as well as the original Arkham Asylum costume for Batman. None of these are guaranteed to remain free as time goes on, so we urge anyone looking to capitalize on the deal to do so sooner rather than later. Plus, they’re the perfect excuse to fire up your copy of Arkham Knight and venture back into the dark and stormy world of Rocksteady’s Gotham City.

Let us know what you think of WB’s giveaway, and check out the new Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer here to compare against the in-game model.

]]>Kick Tail as Alfred with a BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT Modhttp://nerdist.com/kick-tail-as-alfred-with-a-batman-arkham-knight-mod/
Sat, 01 Aug 2015 18:00:22 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=285101Behind every Bruce Wayne, there’s an Alfred Pennyworth dropping some motivational knowledge when needed. Hypothetically speaking, what if their roles changed? Would Alfred have the fortitude to face Gotham’s worst criminals?

Wonder no more, YouTube channel Batman Arkham Videos posted some footage of the Play as Alfred mod that allows players to roam Gotham’s streets in Batman: Arkham Knight as Mr. Pennyworth himself. As strange as it may seem, watching a dapper man bring the pain is a whole lot of fun.

Warning, the video below features many SPOILERS from the campaign and side quests, so proceed with caution.

According to the mod’s creator, the movements are extremely limited. The butler can’t perform counter-attacks, environmental takedowns, or dual takedowns. Still, kicking butt with this iconic character looks like a blast. Duking it out as this famous butler is actually not farfetched, as one of the iterations on the character is actually an ex-Royal Marine. There are even indications that the Arkham version of this character has some military background.

Yes, Batman: Arkham Knight is still broken on PC, but at least there’s something to look forward to. Players on the home consoles only get to mess around with the Batman suit alternatives provided by Rocksteady. Plus, Warner Bros. has recently outlined their plans to get the port into better shape, so hopefully the game will be ready soon.

Are you planning on purchasing this title on PC? If so, will you be using mods? Let us know in the comment section below.

This afternoon, Warner Bros. announced a partnership with James’ production company SpringHill Entertainment that would include film, TV, and digital projects. After fans spent hours in solemn prayer, hoping above all hope that this would finally mean a green-light for James’ long-in-development SpaceJam sequel, the Twitter account for WB‘s Roadshow Entertainment confirmed that Space Jam 2is really, really happening. No, this isn’t a joke. Yes, this entire post was written through a thick veil of tears.

Join Jessica Chobot and Nerdist Newswriter/Space Jam-enthusiast Ben Mekler for a celebration of all things Space Jam, speculation on what Space Jam 2 might be, and an open letter to Warner Bros. to hand the reins of the franchise to someone who truly deserves it – all on this Special Report!

Thanks for watching, don’t forget to use the hashtag #BenMeklerIsSpaceJam2 every day, and keep checking Nerdist.com for more Space Jam 2updates!

]]>BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT Plagued With Issues On PChttp://nerdist.com/batman-arkham-knight-plagued-with-issues-on-pc/
Tue, 23 Jun 2015 17:36:04 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=269463Welp, hopefully you didn’t pick up the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight because, at the moment, it has a slew of issues. The PC version is experiencing significant frame rate issues, dropping to an abysmal 5 FPS at times, and those that pre-loaded the title are also experiencing multiple crashes. Those that chose to pre-load the title have had to once again download large portions of the files.

It doesn’t end there — even those using high-end Nvidia cards are plagued with frame rate drops when gliding or calling in the Batmobile. Warner Bros. has updated the required PC specs overnight to better fit this messy version. Though from the sounds of it, great specs on your rig doesn’t guarantee a smooth experience.

Fiddling around with some of the downloaded files will yield some better results, but I’m far from being any sort of expert on extraction files to verify the results. Peep the statement made by Warner Bros. on their community forums below:

“We’re aware that some users are reporting performance issues with the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight. This is something that Rocksteady takes very seriously. We are working closely with our external PC development partner to make sure these issues get resolved as quickly as possible.

We’ll update this thread when we’ve got more info to share.”

Not much is said here other than WB acknowledging the problems. No timetable on fixes or at least some clarity on what you can do to alleviate said issues. From the sound of it, PC gamers might be waiting a while to truly enjoy the Dark Knight’s last adventure via Rocksteady. I’d suggest getting a Steam refund, and purchasing the game for the consoles if you don’t want to play the waiting game.

This is a great example of why console gaming still exists. Most people, including myself, are not savvy enough to mess around under the hood of a gaming rig; even the thought of having to tinker with different files is frustrating. Unfortunately, the lines seem to be blurring as the home console space now requires day one patch downloads and games no longer work straight out of the box. Maybe some of this can be blamed on quality control from publishers.

To be clear, it doesn’t sound like Rocksteady developed the PC version. The versions they are in charge of seem to be working perfectly fine. One thing is certain — people are not happy right now. Steam and Reddit communities are trashing it, resulting in some horrid user review scores.

Be on the lookout for our home console specific review of the Caped Crusader’s latest title later today. How do you feel about these issues? Make sure to stealthily make your way down to the comments section below to let us know.

]]>DC TV Updates: LEGENDS OF TOMORROW, SUPERGIRL, and TEEN TITANShttp://nerdist.com/dc-tv-updates-legends-of-tomorrow-supergirl-and-teen-titans/
Fri, 15 May 2015 15:00:15 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=254312Remember when we used to get, if we were lucky, a single superhero TV show at a time? Well it’s an embarrassment of riches these days, with DC in the midst of an incredible run of shows. Can they keep it up with three new additions?

Join Jessica Chobot as she breaks down the hot new trailers for Legends of Tomorrowand Supergirl, checks in with an update for TNT’s Teen Titans, and gives you the chance to hang with us at Comic-Con and win TONS of prizes thanks to our pals at ESET!

Thanks for watching today’s show, check out the full contest details in the video above (or over on ESET’s Comic Con page), and let us know in the comments below who you want to see join the DC TV Universe next!

]]>LEGO DIMENSIONS Will Feature Everything You Love (Even DOCTOR WHO)http://nerdist.com/lego-dimensions-will-feature-everything-you-love-even-doctor-who/
Tue, 12 May 2015 15:00:00 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=252925Great news, LEGO, video game, toy, movie, and pretty much anything fans! LEGO Dimensions, the latest, greatest addition to the collectible toy/video game genre, which already boasted DC, Wizard of Oz, Back to the Future, LEGO Movie, and Lord of the Rings content, just added a whole BUNCH more. You’ll be surprised and delighted!

Join Jessica Chobot as she counts down the new properties coming to LEGO Dimensions (Portal! Simpsons! DoctorWho!More!), tells you what you’ll find in each pack, and dreams about what the next great expansion will feature.

Thanks for watching today’s show and let us know what you’d like to see added to LEGO Dimensionsin the comments below.

Hot off the heels of the revelation that Batman: Arkham Knight was given an ‘M’ rating by the ESRB, Rocksteady dropped a brand new trailer for the game. The teaser for Warner Bros. Interactive’s upcoming title, due out June 2 of this year, features the dastardly rogues gallery in all of their villainous glory.

Check it out below.

Yep that’s Poison Ivy at the top of the video, giving Batman the low down on Scarecrow’s plan to seize Gotham. We also get to see the likes of Two-Face, The Penguin, The Riddler, Harley Quinn, and, of course, The Arkham Knight team up to take down the caped crusader once and for all. After Ivy’s spiel, Scarecrow tells Gotham’s criminals to keep having fun because they’re under his protection. After warning the police force that they will not be spared, he taunts Batman, “and to Batman, I have already won.”

The rest of the video is an action packed sequence showing off the Batmobile–which is a new addition to Rocksteady’s games. As he races around town in the playable vehicle, Batman is seen shooting rockets at enemies and ejecting from the driver’s seat to everyone’s surprise. It’s definitely interesting to see the integration of the classic car into not only the series, but the combat as well. Speaking of combat, it looks like the majority of it remains the same, which is good to hear considering all of the praise the mechanic has received in past iterations.

—

Are you excited to dive into this ‘M’ rated adventure? Let us know in the comments below.

]]>http://nerdist.com/batman-arkham-knight-gotham-is-mine-trailer-showcases-supervillains/feed/6FIREFLY’s Morena Baccarin on Romancing Jim Gordon and Joining GOTHAM’s Police Forcehttp://nerdist.com/fireflys-morena-baccarin-on-romancing-jim-gordon-and-joining-gothams-police-force/
http://nerdist.com/fireflys-morena-baccarin-on-romancing-jim-gordon-and-joining-gothams-police-force/#commentsTue, 27 Jan 2015 00:30:19 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=219586Few TV stars have won a place in the hearts of genre fans like Morena Baccarin. After breaking through in Joss Whedon’s Firefly and its spin-off film Serenity, the Brazilian-born stunner won memorable roles on Stargate SG-1 (and its direct-to-video spin-off Stargate: The Ark of Truth), V, Homeland, and the animated Justice League, for which she provided the voice of the Black Canary. She’s even found time for guest turns on The Flash (as the voice of Harrison Wells’ computer Gideon) and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (as the voice of the Cheetah). This month saw her return to the Batman universe in high style on Gotham, as the first live-action incarnation of Dr. Leslie Thompkins, longtime confidant of the Dark Knight and Jim Gordon, with whom she’s already initiated a romance on the show.

We caught up with Baccarin at last weekend’s TCA Winter Press Tour in Pasadena and she explained how she won the role, as well as what lies ahead for the good doctor.

The Nerdist: You’ve shown a great deal of chemistry with Ben McKenzie. How did your casting come about? Did you test with him?

Morena Baccarin: No, they just kind of threw us together and it worked. So it was both sheer luck and tenacity.

N: In developing your Leslie Thompkins, what did you draw from? She’s very different than she is in the comic books.

MB: Yeah, it was on the page. Bruno wrote a very well-rounded character right away, and that’s what I was playing — what I was given.

N: Leslie’s a hardened professional, but she has a warmth that we haven’t really seen so far on the show.

MB: Yes, that’s true.

N: Was that something the producers said they were looking for?

MB: Yes, I think the show was wanting that, a female energy, something a little bit different. Somebody who can [tolerate] the shit that she’s gotta put up with and not be phased. That’s how she was written.

N: After your experiences with Firefly, Stargate, and V, is it comforting to know you have fans who will follow you from project to project?

MB: Absolutely, I think it’s a wonderful world to be in. It was very stigmatized ten years ago, but now we’re here and we’re all very lucky to have such fans. They really do follow you. A lot of them watch Homeland, which is not at all their cup of tea, and follow me to whatever I do. It’s really nice.

N: What do you think attracts Gordon and Leslie to each other?

MB: They get together pretty quickly [because] they’re both very lonely and they find refuge in each other. They’re kindred spirits.

N: Now that you’re a regular on the show, will we see you in every episode for the remainder of this season?

MB: No, not necessarily. Next season perhaps.

N: Bruno Heller has told us Leslie will soon become a part of the police force.

MB: Yes, I start working at the GCPD very quickly. So I’ll be around.

N: Have you had a chance to interact with the rest of the cast now that you’re at police headquarters?

MB: Not too much. A little bit with Bullock and a little bit with Nygma, which was really fun. But mostly just with Jim.

N: What’s Leslie’s position with GCPD?

MB: She’s the medical examiner. So she’s pretty much there on every case.

N: Will we learn more of her backstory in the days ahead? We don’t know much about her past yet.

MB: To be honest, I’m not quite sure. I think eventually. They do such a great job of making everybody a well-rounded character that you can kind of spin off on any character. So hopefully they’ll give her a little more back story. Right now we’re just going day by day.

N: Did you come up with one for her in your head?

MB: No, because that stuff changes. So I’m just really trying to take it a day at a time, and what they’ve written has been mostly focused on our relationship. So that’s been really the key element to it.

N: Does that relationship get at all complicated by Jim’s prior relationship?

MB: Mildly, but not too much. It gets more complicated as the season goes on just by the virtue of what we do, and the troubles in Gotham.

N: Well it’s reassuring to know the show won’t fall prey to a cliched love triangle.

]]>http://nerdist.com/fireflys-morena-baccarin-on-romancing-jim-gordon-and-joining-gothams-police-force/feed/1Watch the First Footage of ARROW’s New Black Canary in Action!http://nerdist.com/watch-the-first-footage-of-arrows-new-black-canary-in-action/
http://nerdist.com/watch-the-first-footage-of-arrows-new-black-canary-in-action/#commentsThu, 22 Jan 2015 14:30:49 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=219983Man, the CW is on fire these days. With shows like Jane the Virgin winning new audiences and critical acclaim, and the Vertigo comic adaptation iZombie from Veronica Mars‘ Rob Thomas on its way, the network has grown far beyond the confines of the soap operas with which it was once identified. But there’s no greater success story that that of the CW’s Arrow and The Flash. While the latter is the network’s highest rated program ever, together the two shows are the best comic-book-based series on TV right now, the most successful translation of DC’s characters to live-action television, and the foundation of the company’s expanding TV Universe.

In its latest trailer for both series, the CW proudly showcases what distinguishes The Flash and Arrow from their competitors — awesome superhero action and cool code names! Including its latest champions: The Flash‘s Dr. Martin Stein (as played by Alias star Victor Garber, who with Robbie Amell’s Ronnie Raymond, comprises the show’s Firestorm) and Arrow‘s new Black Canary (a.k.a Laurel “Dinah” Lance, played by series regular Katie Cassidy), who made her debut in last night’s midseason premiere…

With Oliver Queen currently out of commission on Arrow, we know the new Canary will be doing her damnedest to clean up the streets of Starling City in his absence. But how will she fare? Her late sister Sara (the original Canary) spent years training with the League of Assassins; and Oliver, of course, honed his skills as a mercenary and A.R.G.U.S. operative in his five years away from home. I’ll say one thing for Arrow‘s newest superhero — she cuts a much meaner figure in her mask, wig, and jacket than I’d ever dared hoped.

What do you guys think? Let us know below!

]]>http://nerdist.com/watch-the-first-footage-of-arrows-new-black-canary-in-action/feed/2Stephen Amell on the Fall — and Rise? — of ARROW’s Oliver Queenhttp://nerdist.com/stephen-amell-on-the-fall-and-rise-of-arrow-oliver-queen/
http://nerdist.com/stephen-amell-on-the-fall-and-rise-of-arrow-oliver-queen/#commentsThu, 22 Jan 2015 01:30:14 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=219913Note: This article contains spoilers for the current season of Arrow.

Brace yourselves, fellow Arrow fans. Our show returns tonight (and every Wednesday thereafter at 8 PM/7 PM C), after its most harrowing mid-season finale yet and a month of nail-biting on all our parts. But will Oliver Queen return with it?

When we last saw the Starling City scion, the uber-villainous Ra’s al Ghul, leader of the League of Assassins, had just brought Oliver to his knees, ran his sword through him, and kicked him off the top of a snow-capped cliff. Without his friends, his weapons, or, presumably, even a heartbeat, could even the Emerald Archer hope to survive such a fall? And where does that leave Felicity, to whom he confessed his love shortly before running off to duel “The Demon’s Head” in a bid to save his sister Thea’s life?

We caught up with the Arrow himself, Stephen Amell, at last week’s TCA Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, where the actor was in remarkably good spirits for someone who’d just spent the holiday season in the underworld. So we joined a couple of our fellow journalists in trying to get some answers to the questions plaguing us…

Nerdist: It’s safe to say that Oliver is undergoing the most transformative experience of his life right now. Can you hint at how that will change him?

Stephen Amell: No. I can’t. [Laughs.]

N: What do you think it would take for him to survive his impalement at the hands of Ra’s al Ghul?

SA: Well, we just saw him fall. We’ve seen Oliver survive. So whether he went straight off the cliff, whether something broke his fall, whether he hit the ground… You know, we have mystical herbs on the show that have healing powers. We’ve seen the Lazarus Pit — although that’s not something that’s gonna be used for Oliver. I hope he survives. I like playing him. [Laughs.]

N: His last thought before getting “killed” was of Felicity. Can you talk about that? Why do you think she’s become so important to him?

SA: Well, both Laurel and Sara were elements of his past. Obviously Sara and Oliver tried to rekindle things. But both of those relationships really rely heavily upon the type of person that he was before he left [Starling City]. As he has become more accepting, less introverted, and less damaged by what happened to him [during] the five years that he was away, the guiding principle in that transformation has been Felicity.

N: Did you always know that?

SA: No, and neither did the producers by the way. But those things happen along the way. Emily [Bett Rickards] and I, our characters, work well together, and as a result that’s the direction that we took. Before this season, when I said there was one woman in Oliver’s life this year and that is Felicity… I don’t see that changing.

—

Here’s the trailer for this week’s episode, “Left Behind”…

]]>http://nerdist.com/stephen-amell-on-the-fall-and-rise-of-arrow-oliver-queen/feed/8Ian Somerhalder and Executive Producer Julie Plec on the Romance and Tragedy Awaiting THE VAMPIRE DIARIEShttp://nerdist.com/ian-somerhalder-and-executive-producer-julie-plec-on-the-romance-and-tragedy-awaiting-the-vampire-diaries/
http://nerdist.com/ian-somerhalder-and-executive-producer-julie-plec-on-the-romance-and-tragedy-awaiting-the-vampire-diaries/#commentsMon, 12 Jan 2015 23:00:49 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=216642Like its supernatural namesake, The Vampire Diaries is the show that refuses to die. Yet, remarkably, for a TV series that’s now in its sixth season — with a seventh confirmed just yesterday by The CW — Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec’s adaptation and expansion of L.J. Smith’s series of young adult horror novels marches forward with a relentless momentum, burning through its story as though each episode will be its very last. According to Plec, however, there’s still plenty of story to come (including the departure of Jeremy Gilbert, series regular Steven R. McQueen), as she explained yesterday on the TCA Winter Press Tour panel she shared with fellow executive producer Caroline Dries and star Ian Somerhalder, a.k.a bad boy Damon Salvatore…

On the increasing moral ambiguity of Damon Salvatore…

Ian Somerhalder: [He’s had] ill intent but for righteous reasons, which, actually, [describes] the scariest type of people if we look into the world today, ultimately. The people that have ill intent but for righteous reasons are the ones that we are really afraid of. But, yes, due to the fact that [he’s] become more centrally located it does lessen the blow a little bit of Damon’s… let’s call it “sphere of influence,” and his ill intent. But it’s for the ones he loves. Now, given that I don’t have to kill anyone, it gives me a little more time to…

Julie Plec: Make sweet, sweet love.

IS: We are trying. Damon is trying.

On whether or not the end game of Vampire Diaries has changed since season 2…

JP: You know, Kevin and I came [up] with and then cried over our perfect ending, sitting in the the lobby of a mall outside the W Midtown, and really stuck to that for many, many years. Now, the show is going to most likely go on a bit longer than we ever could have dreamt of. It has evolved, but it’s still rooted in that same idea. So we are still on the same path.

On where they are going with the second half of the season…

Caroline Dries: Well, speaking of mythology, our main through line of this season has been learning more and more about the Gemini Coven, which is where Liv and Luke came from. We met them last season. And, now, we are starting to learn who their family is, what they actually want. And, then, we met Kai this season and found out that he’s, you know, their psychotic brother who has been in prison for fifteen years. So now that we are halfway through the season and Kai has now absorbed all of the magic in Mystic Falls, he’s super powerful, and he has one thing on his mind, which is, “I want to merge with my twin sister and become the leader of the Gemini Coven.” We’ll watch that storyline culminate with a lot of drama and death.

JP: It ain’t going to go well… We’ve got that. We’ve got Damon and Elena finally working their way back towards each other and trying to reach a happy stasis of functional relationship, which is the one thing that we’ve never actually gotten to play with them. So being able to, you know, see them actually just be comfortable and happy with each other without having to deal with a lot of sturm und drang internally… [There’s] still, obviously, a lot of external conflict, but…

CD: Yeah. I think what’s fun about their relationship, too, is we get to see part of the relationship that we didn’t get to see the first time around because we, kind of played it off camera, skipped four months, kind of like the honeymoon phase of the butterflies and, like, “Does he like me? Does she like me?” That kind of stuff. So we get to see more of the beginning stages of their relationship, which feels new.

JP: Plus many, many other things…

On Julie Plec finally directing an episode this season…

JP: For the last four years, people have been saying, “So when’s your turn? When’s your turn? When are you going to do it?” I was, like, “Never. What a terrible idea. Never. Absolutely not. I don’t want to do it.” Then, finally, I realized that in a lifetime, you are lucky if you get one series on the air that lasts six, seven, eight years, and to be able to be the boss, so to speak, and put your hand up in the air and say, “I’d like to try this,” and then to be able to do it… I may never get that opportunity again.

IS: She’s having a blast… It’s really incredible with her ability to know every nuance, every situation, but be able to sit there quietly with her monitor and her Diet Coke and then just really happily watch things, call things out and… this is her team. These are the people that will not let us fail. It’s really special. And thank you guys for letting me direct. It’s going to be such an incredible dream.

JP: You are going to be awesome. You are going to love it too.

On going back to the earlier phase of Damon and Elena’s relationship…

IS: [Caroline] just touched upon that, ultimately there were the three or four or five months that were skipped over, the sort of honeymoon phase. You don’t typically get to see Damon in a space in time where he’s truly happy. He did a little bit in Season 5. Right before I died. Then, also, too, you don’t really get to see Elena very happy, although she tries and has varying degrees of success as far as her ability to just be happy without some crazy circumstance imposing its will on her. I think it’s wonderful to see these two people actually… Listen, it’s great to see anyone happy anytime. It’s a little difficult to want to not see that. How long that will last by virtue of the fact that drama will always ensue, and that’s what creates the dynamics that make this story work… But I think they are very deserving of it. They are extremely deserving of it. I think that this is a time and space where they’ve both been through a lot, and you always want people to win… When you see love, you want it to win.

JP: Love in the rain.

IS: I froze my ass off in that rain.

—

Are you excited for a new season of The Vampire Diaries? Let us know in the comments below.

]]>http://nerdist.com/ian-somerhalder-and-executive-producer-julie-plec-on-the-romance-and-tragedy-awaiting-the-vampire-diaries/feed/1TV-Cap: Creepy DOCTOR WHO Concept Art, Chris Pratt on AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D?, Pacey & Dawson Reunitehttp://nerdist.com/tv-cap-creepy-doctor-who-concept-art-chris-pratt-on-agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-pacey-dawson-reunite/
http://nerdist.com/tv-cap-creepy-doctor-who-concept-art-chris-pratt-on-agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-pacey-dawson-reunite/#commentsMon, 17 Nov 2014 15:30:04 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=201699It’s Monday! The day after Sunday, a/k/a the most TV’d day of the week. With that much stuff going on you’d think television news would take a breather and instead bask in the warmth of its very successful run of programming. Ha ha! Oh how you are wrong. No, no, no, we’ve got HEAPS of news for you today — from Doctor Who concept art to Chris Pratt’s desire to be on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and even a bit of a nostalgia overdose for fans of classic WB shows Dawson’s Creek and Gilmore Girls. How sweet it is to be loved by television, isn’t it, folks?

When Cybermen Attack: We’ve been left adrift in the world, Doctor Who fans. But just because we don’t have any new Doctor/Clara to satiate us until the Christmas special next month doesn’t mean there aren’t interesting things going on out in the Whoniverse. In fact the FX company that does most of the work on the BBC series released some of their concept art for the reimagined Cybermen, and the results are quite chilling. From the guy in the header image above to this creepy, be-circulatory system’d fella, there’s plenty of horror to be found in the mere make-up of the machine-human things.

There’s also this fun video featuring just how complicated it is to get someone into a Cyberman suit. Egads! [io9]

Star-Lord’s Ready to Fight HYDRA, S.H.I.E.L.D: Oh MAN oh man oh man now wouldn’t this be the greatest? Wouldn’t this just be swell? If somehow, someway, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. were able to figure out a way to incorporate Chris Pratt’s Guardians of the Galaxy character, Star-Lord, into an episode? It would be good, it would be very good. Making it even better? The fact that Chris Pratt himself is TOTALLY on board. We’re going to need a Star-Lord and Agent Coulson dance-off tout de suite, ABC. Get on it right MEOW! I smell something sweet for sweeps, folks. [Zap2It]

Bill Cosby’s Still on at Netflix, NBC: The stand-up special at the former and the sitcom pilot at the latter have not been negatively affected by the recent rehashing of Bill Cosby’s alleged sexual assault. [Deadline]

Get Ready for the Feels: Oh, Parenthood. I’d say you were evil but you’re literally anything but: you’re a feels machine of the highest order and in honor of your brand spankin’ new, 100th episode (congrats on that very impressive TV accomplishment, by the way), we’re rolling out the trailer and it’s got Josh Ritter again OH MAN OH JEEZ OH GOSH love triangle! Oh but wait POPPA BRAVERMAN WHAT’S WRONG OH NO OH NO I hate you and also love you Jason Katims goddamnit!

Speaking of Lauren Graham Shows…: There’s going to be a Gilmore Girls reunion at this year’s ATX Festival which is a thing I really, really want to go to but will ultimately probably not be able to because life is cruel and unfair and I’m selfish. Wompedy-womp-womp. [Vanity Fair]

Another Teen Dream Reunion: Seriously though this one is pretty great, particularly if you were a teen girl in the late nineties/early aughts, as this hear writer was (and probably always will be). I was totally on Team Pacey always and forever when it comes to Dawson’s Creek but next time you see me out in life ask me about the funny story I have about James Van Der Beek because it’s a doozy. Sidenote: I DON’T WANNA WAIT FOR OUR LIVES TO BE OV-ER. [Instagram]

What other people would you like to see crossover within the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let us know in the comments!

]]>http://nerdist.com/tv-cap-creepy-doctor-who-concept-art-chris-pratt-on-agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-pacey-dawson-reunite/feed/1BATMAN V SUPERMAN Moving To March 2016, More DC Release Dates Revealedhttp://nerdist.com/batman-v-superman-moving-to-march-2016-more-dc-release-dates-revealed/
http://nerdist.com/batman-v-superman-moving-to-march-2016-more-dc-release-dates-revealed/#commentsThu, 07 Aug 2014 01:30:02 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=172743For the last few months, many have speculated about what will happen in May 2016 when Marvel’s Captain America 3 was set to go head-to-head at the box office with DC/Warner Bros’ highly anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Given the power DC wields by having their two most recognizable star players in the same film, conventional wisdom seemed to state that Marvel was going to move Captain America 3 to a new date, a notion that seemed even likelier after Captain America: The Winter Soldier cleaned up at the box office following its April release. But now, thanks to a new report from The Wrap, it seems DC has blinked first.

According to the article, Warner Brothers has opted to move the Man of Steel follow-up to March 25th, 2016. The shift makes sense as the Captain America sequel proved there’s blockbuster money to be made for spring released superhero films, and Warner Brothers doesn’t want to risk losing any ticket sales to Marvel while they’re trying to build a foundation for the DCCU.

But the release date insanity doesn’t stop there as the following list of untitled DC and WB films was released as well:

Untitled DC Film – 08/05/16

Untitled DC Film – 06/23/17

Untitled DC Film – 11/17/17

Untitled DC Film – 03/23/18

Untitled DC Film – 07/27/18

Untitled WB Event Film – 11/16/18

Untitled DC Film – 04/05/19

Untitled DC Film – 06/14/19

Untitled DC Film – 04/03/20

Untitled DC Film – 06/19/20

Untitled WB Event Film – 11/20/20

Holy cats, that’s a lot of release dates! This is almost certainly a direct response to Marvel carving out a swath of release dates through 2019 for themselves as DC/WB doesn’t want to be seemingly left behind. It’s currently unknown if these “untitled DC films” are the ones rumored to be on DC’s cinematic slate, but leaked plans for films through 2018 including Shazam, Sandman, Justice League, Wonder Woman, Flash/Green Lantern, and Man of Steel 2, but even though the dates don’t line up exactly, the large amount of titles does. As for the two secret WB event films, rumor is they’ll be sequels to the upcoming Harry Potter spin-off, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The studio isn’t about to go into the continuation of one of its biggest properties half-cocked, and securing two dates for potential future sequels is the right move. Still, that leaves plenty of room for speculation as to exactly what those films might be.

All-in-all, this has been one crazy afternoon for Warner Brothers, and also for fans of their films. One thing’s for sure, though, spring 2016 just get way more interesting.

What films do you think WB and DC plan on releasing in the future? Let us know in the comments below.

]]>http://nerdist.com/batman-v-superman-moving-to-march-2016-more-dc-release-dates-revealed/feed/7The Comic-Con Constantine Trailer Sparks Excitementhttp://nerdist.com/the-comic-con-constantine-trailer-sparks-excitement/
http://nerdist.com/the-comic-con-constantine-trailer-sparks-excitement/#commentsMon, 28 Jul 2014 13:00:01 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=170043On Saturday night, DC and Warner Brothers Television swooped in to close out the night with a massive bash hosted by Oliver Queen himself, Stephen Amell. There, the four current DC based television properties, Gotham, Arrow, Flash and Constantine, were put on display. Now, WBTV has released a brand new trailer for Constantine that you can watch right now:

During the screening of the pilot episode at the series’ panel over the weekend, many press learned that the original pilot released to critics during upfronts had been modified in two drastic ways that, while ultimately going unnoticed to fans who never saw the original cut, will have extreme effects on the direction the series takes. The most notable change involves the way a particular character in the pilot can be involved in the series’ future, but that’s all we can really say without getting into spoiler territory.

Overall, this trailer looks very well done and gets us even more excited for the cigarette smoking demon hunter’s small screen debut than the original trailer did from May. It’s just a shame October is such a far ways away because this looks like a series that’ll definitely make us want to stay in on Friday nights (while Hannibal is on break).

Constantine premieres October 24th on NBC.

Which DC TV show has you the most excited for fall? Let us know in the comments below!

]]>http://nerdist.com/the-comic-con-constantine-trailer-sparks-excitement/feed/5Pickstarter Plus: Jon Schnepp on the “Death of Superman Lives”http://nerdist.com/pickstarter-plus-jon-schnepp-on-the-death-of-superman-lives/
http://nerdist.com/pickstarter-plus-jon-schnepp-on-the-death-of-superman-lives/#commentsThu, 14 Feb 2013 03:00:04 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=67738Recently on Pickstarter, we recommended Jon Schnepp’s The Death of Superman Lives. The documentary plans to detail the fall of one of the most outrageous films of all time, Tim Burton’s Superman Lives. You may know Jon for his work on Metalocalypse and with Titmouse animation or his upcoming Grimm Fairy Tales. The director is rightly obsessed with getting his hands on as much information as possible about the project he thinks would have lived for the ages as the campiest and greatest Superman movie of all time. With just over three weeks left on the Kickstarter project’s funding window, we wanted to get more details from Jon about the movie, so we did what normal people do and asked.

Nerdist: Okay Jon, let’s get it straight from you. Why are you obsessed with a movie that for all intents and purposes should never have gotten as far as it did?

Jon Schnepp: Actually, I’m of the opinion that this movie should have been made. If this film was made, it would have changed the way a lot of films were done in the future (now our past), and opened up a lot more creativity in the realms of filmmaking and approaching the ideas of adaptation. Just imagine how different superhero films, and genre films in general, would have been. The ripple effect is staggering! This film is a perfect example of many other projects that were stopped after a considerable amount of work had been done, and this project especially holds a certain appeal to me, because it would have been going in a different and unique direction with a character that had been around for at that time almost 60 years. All the artwork slowly released over the last fifteen years, especially after the release of “Superman Returns,” really made me want to know more about this unmade project.

N: You’ve traditionally worked in animation and illustration; what makes you want to pursue a documentary?

JS: I’ve cut together several BTS docs in the past as well as having edited features and many TV series, and have found that, to me, making a documentary is in many ways very similar to making a narrative. It’s all about story, and successfully telling it, be it from a script with actors, props and sets, or in animated form, segmented into storyboards and radio plays and final composites. The documentary also allows interesting and unique story breakdowns, flashbacks, flash forwards, voiceover, and combinations of stills, video, film, and animation. In other words, it’s going to be very exciting and creatively rewarding to me to make this documentary now.

N: What phase of pre-production are you in?

JS: I’m still researching and setting up interviews, and am waiting on hearing back from several folks. I have the spine of the documentary completely laid out, with its beginning, middle, and end, plus lots of fun surprises. I’m approaching this story much like a private investigator, with many of the stories to be told out of sequence, intercut with both the future and the past, and to eventually add up to the “why this did not happen” at the end. Think about this documentary as a slice of various perspectives creating a whole, told with interviews and animation and recreations.

N: Has anyone involved in Superman Lives contacted you to get involved with the documentary, and who are you pursuing or hoping will sit down with you?

JS: Actually, lots of people involved in the making of Superman Lives contacted me through the Kickstarter, as well as fans who have been collecting images over the years just like me. I have gotten okays for interviews from several of the main people involved in this project, but I’m still waiting to hear back from Nicolas Cage and Tim Burton.

N: Have you heard from Warners or DC?

JS: Not yet, but I will be talking with them eventually. I am not making a negative or “slam” documentary; In fact, quite to the contrary, I’m going to be showing the creative process, from inside the studio perspective, and how projects become a reality or how they eventually transform into something else. WB and DC should be quite happy with what I’ve got planned, and I hope they will give me full access to the materials I’ll need to make this doc stand out.

N: It would seem like they were far enough along in pre-production that some behind the scenes stuff may have been shot for the film; Any chance of you getting access to that gold mine?

JS: I’m hearing lots of things, from sets to costumes, from many different people, so I’ll be putting on my fedora and getting all “archaeological” very soon.

N: How much are you watching Lost in La Mancha to prepare for this undertaking?

JS: I had already seen that film at least five times before I even thought of making this doc, and now I don’t want to see it again, because I don’t want to go through any part of that ordeal at all!

N: You’re now a Kickstarter veteran; How is crowdfunding changing the way you produce content?

JS: I love crowdfunding projects, because it removes the filter between me and my audience. I can directly communicate with the people who would want to see what I want to make, and hopefully convince them to help me make it. This is opening up so many new ways to make all types of media, as well as innovative inventions, new technologies, etc. I like the freedom I have to make exactly what I want, and deliver it to the people who already know what I have made, and are expecting that type of quality from me, but without interference. This is Hollywood 2.0, and this is part of the new media way. Alongside the internet’s viewing changes brought on by Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, we now all watch and enjoy media in micro-bursts or mega-binges, and this is all intersecting with modern filmmakers who have taken the reigns of their own career, and are working with the crowds as well as the larger corps. to re-brand and re-signal the overall viewership. ABSORB!!!!

N: How are things progressing on Grimm Fairy Tales?

JS: I learned quite a lot from running the Grimm Fairy Tales Animated Kickstarter, and successfully raising $188,000 from people who wanted to see my take on that comic property. After funding, I was able to write the script, and then go immediately into production, and make it the way I had envisioned it, with no detractors or obstacles, aside from only being able to produce 19 minutes, because that’s all the money we had to make it. It’s completely finished now, and we will be sending out the BluRay/DVDs to all the pledgers in April, after a limited release on VOD this March. If any of the readers here are going to WonderCon in Anaheim at the end of March, we will be having a few screenings there.

N: You’re one of the most knowledgeable nerds I know and gave some of the clearest explanations about the draw of cons in Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope, so tell me, why DO we get so hung up on what many in the mainstream media consider trivial?

JS: I think the True Nerd has these kinds of numbers and statistics floating around in their head, like what was the first appearance of Wolverine? #180!!! Who drew it? Herb Trimpe!!! When did Saturn 3 come out? 1980!!! Who wrote the screenplay for Blade Runner? Hampton Fancher and David Peoples!!! Now when it gets down to the sweaty nerd facts like how much can the Hulk benchpress, or which way does Moondragon swing, these become stats like in baseball or football, and the heavier the sweat, the more these stats float around their beaded brows! Half-Nerds take cover, we come for you!!!

N: What other ideas are floating around in that head of yours that are going to result in me giving you my money on Kickstarter?

JS: Well, I have an animated comedy web series that is like “Thundarr on Acid” that I want to make, as well as a feature film about a magically depressed superhero. Both of these I am planning on running as Kickstarters later this year. I also have an experimental art book, and a sci-fi comic book that I’m working on, also to be crowd funded. I plan on working inside and outside of media, through large companies and through individual investors, because working in both worlds keeps me creatively alive. I know that I’m making what satisfies my creativity, as well as giving back to the people who want to experience what I make, unfiltered.

]]>http://nerdist.com/pickstarter-plus-jon-schnepp-on-the-death-of-superman-lives/feed/13EXCLUSIVE: This “Pacific Rim” Poster Will Mecha Your Dayhttp://nerdist.com/exclusive-this-pacific-rim-poster-will-mecha-your-day/
http://nerdist.com/exclusive-this-pacific-rim-poster-will-mecha-your-day/#commentsThu, 11 Oct 2012 19:00:21 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=56876TGIThursday, everyone! While it’s not quite the weekend yet, we’re still about to have us some fun with exclusive new art from Guillermo Del Toro’s upcoming robots-versus-kaiju epic Pacific Rim. While we have to wait until summer 2013 to actually see the film, you can enjoy this awesome vintage propaganda poster right now from Spanish artist Raúl Monge (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy 2), a concept artist for Pacific Rim, which features one of the film’s Jaegers, the giant Gundam-like robots that the characters will pilot in the war against Godzilla’s lesser-known cousins. Even better? Those of you at New York Comic Con should head over to the Legendary booth at 2 pm EST on Friday to see Del Toro sign the artwork and check out costumes from the film or head to the Legendary panel on Friday at 5:15pm to see the artwork and plenty of other goodies, to boot.

To paraphrase what I imagine Guillermo Del Toro said when he saw this, “This looks dope as hell, you guys.” According to an official press release though, here’s what Del Toro actually said: “Raúl is one of my top concept designers. The idea with this particular piece was to emulate an old WWII propaganda poster/flyer that went along with the world we were creating. It symbolizes rationing – voluntary work force, no guts, no glory kind of heroism.”

Still not enough Pacific Rim for you? Well, Del Toro also announced a Pacific Rim graphic novel penned by the film’s writer Travis Beacham (Clash of the Titans), which will serve as a prequel leading up to the events of the film. Listen, guys, you don’t really need to twist our arms when it comes to gargantuan robots wailing on monsters to determine the fate of the universe, but we’re always happy to get extra content. Are you excited to see Raleigh Antrobus (Sons of Anarchy‘s Charlie Hunnam) piloting a massive mech and doing righteous battle with sea-dwelling eldritch creatures? Quemment below and let us know!

]]>http://nerdist.com/exclusive-this-pacific-rim-poster-will-mecha-your-day/feed/19Thundercats Hooooooo-ld Up. Save Thundercats!http://nerdist.com/thundercats-hooooooo-ld-up-save-thundercats/
http://nerdist.com/thundercats-hooooooo-ld-up-save-thundercats/#commentsWed, 13 Jun 2012 19:00:01 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=47837Judging by the nostalgia boom revolving around the cartoons and toys from our youth, one could be forgiven for thinking they’d time-traveled to an alternate reality version of the 1990s where nothing is quite as it seems. From GI Joe to Transformers to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (or was it just Ninja Turtles?), the properties we grew up with are being stripmined, retrofitted and rebooted for a new era. One property that was a bit slower to get out of the throwback gate was Thundercats. After years of attempted film adaptations – both live and CG animated (thankfully aborted) – and being thoroughly outclassed by a Photoshop-filled fan film, Cartoon Network finally gave Lion-O and the ‘Cats new life in their animated series Thundercats last year. And sadly, the adventure is being cut short; they’ve pulled the plug.

The adventure-based series managed to get two seasons under its belt before the axe fell; The adventures of Lion-O and company was not on Cartoon Network’s list of returning shows in a recent press announcement. The show played closer in tone to Avatar: The Last Airbender than the campiness of the original, which was a point of contention for many diehard fans. Some decried it for its less-than-faithful look at the tale of the Thundercats, but many more praised it for bringing more complex storytelling, character development and morality tales to the genre. Seeing a teenage Lion-O being forced to deal with the loss of his kingdom and family, while also attempting to combat the ever-growing armies of Mumm-Ra by seeking out the Book of Omens, was an incredibly rich experience for the viewers who had been weaned on a steady diet of battles against a monster of the week to rescue Snarf from the clutches of Mumm-Ra’s ineffectual minions.

The question remains: if the show was so good, why is it being cancelled? What went wrong? Where were the droves of people who own t-shirts and belt buckles emblazoned with the iconic Thundercats symbol? Why didn’t the crossover audience from Avatar: The Last Airbender switch the channel to Cartoon Network? While Avatar was an undeniable success for Nickelodeon, the story of Aang becoming a massive hit came as a surprise for many people who didn’t see room in Nickelodeon’s stable for a more serious, adventure-based series. So, the question then becomes: has Cartoon Network’s demographic shifted?

One of the network’s biggest draws is its Adult Swim programming block, which brings in the coveted 18-34 stoned-on-your-couch-at-home demographic. All snarkiness aside, Adult Swim brings in surprisingly good numbers and has made the network a staple of late-night television. So, was Thundercats the victim of poor timeslotting? The show debuted with an hour-long episode on a Friday night at 8PM, then shifted to Friday nights at 8:30PM for subsequent episodes. Friday night can be something of a death sentence for television shows, as it’s traditionally a night where many go out, leaving their Nielsen boxes at home collecting dust. It could be argued that 8:30PM is too late for the after-school crowd and too early for the Adult Swim audience. In effect, Cartoon Network missed both the opportunity to hook younger viewers with a slick, Avatar-esque show that seems tailor-made for them and to cash in on the nostalgia factor of older viewers who are probably staring down a pint of beer at their local watering hole at 8:30PM on a Friday rather than sitting at home reliving the 1980s. Thundercats may very well have been stuck in television’s Bermuda Triangle, a time slot where many shows enter, but none ever leave. The shift to Saturday mornings may have come too late, especially for a serialized show where the new audience would not have yet caught up with the original episodes.

All of this leaves us with one final question: is there any hope to save the show? After Adult Swim’s April Fool’s Day prank, in which they revived the popular anime-centric programming block Toonami for a night, a #BringBackToonami campaign ignited the Twittersphere, giving Cartoon Network execs genuine pause for a moment and leading to the block’s revival on May 26th. Could we see a #BringBackSnarf in our future? A group of very attractive fans with that mission in mind have made a home on Tumblr. Save Thundercats features four young ladies in pseudo-cosplay of the team (including our own Chloe Dykstra as Lion-O) to bring awareness to the Thundercats’ plight. Organized by Marisha Ray, the Tumblr is trying to get people to sign this petition to get Warner Bros to reconsider and save programming she finds worthwhile. Will it be enough? Only time will tell, unless, of course, you have the Book of Omens.

What do you think went wrong and do you want to see the show return? Let us know in the comment section below.